Master of Arts in Geography

Admission Requirements

The applicant must meet the School of Graduate Studies’ current minimum general admission requirements as published in the graduate catalog.

A four-year bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university.

A GPA of at least 3.00 in all undergraduate work.

A minimum of 9 semester credits of undergraduate coursework in geography, preferably in human geography. An additional 6 credits in fields cognate to geography are also required. Cognate courses must be from at least two academic departments outside Geography.

Meet all School of Graduate Studies requirements for admission.

Satisfy the School of Graduate Studies’ English Language Proficiency requirements as published in the graduate catalog.

Outstanding applicants are evaluated on an individual basis and those with limited backgrounds in geography but a distinguished record in another discipline may be accepted in a qualified or provisional status.

Degree Requirements

Students seeking the Master of Arts degree at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies as well as particular requirements set forth by the Geography Department.

A minor or cognate area of study, and a graduate program of study that reflects the student’s focus on human geography topics (9 credits).

Thesis

A minimum of 30 semester credits, including 9 semester credits for approved minor or cognate courses.

At least one-half of the credits must be at or above the 500-level.

A maximum of one-fourth (usually 8-9 semester credits) of the credit hours required for the degree may be transferred from another institution.

Preparation and successful defense of a thesis (a minimum of 6 credits for GEOG 998 Thesis).

Non-Thesis

A minimum of 36 semester credits, including 9 semester credits for approved minor or cognate courses.

A minimum of 12 credits that focus upon geospatial skills and techniques which include quantitative methods, computer graphics and mapping, geographic information systems, remote sensing, field methods, and cartography. The non-thesis programs emphasize development of geospatial skills that can be applied to specific problems and projects that may or may not involve research.